My full name is…
Kirsten Harvey nee Shanks. Can’t quite let that one go.
But my friends call me…
Shanksie, K, Kirst.
I grew up…
Between jungles and farmland.
My cultural background is…
Kiwi.
My home is…
A warm and sunny sanctuary for our family.
Each morning we…
Cuddle.
The perfect day is…
Slowly starting, spent with loved ones, in nature.
The perfect evening…
Winding down a late summer’s day, still salty from a day at the ocean, around a table outside laden with beautiful food and natural wines, in the company of great friends, children playing around us, before slipping away with them to bed and a good novel.
I find comfort in…
Being deep in a creative flow state with work.
You will usually find me…
Making a mess in the kitchen or at the desk, with Rafi on my hip.
My daily ritual is…
Currently very fluid, woven gently into my days. While I’ve always been a creature of ritual, wee ones ensure any daily agenda is kept very loose.
Before becoming a mother, I was…
Working. Or on a yoga mat thinking about work. It's been 10 years of creating, nurturing and developing this beautiful beast of a business.
Right now I am…
So very tired. Juggling running a business with the sleeplessness of early motherhood is a current reality for me, but this time around I do have full awareness of the depletion that can result but abiding in the insight that it's ok, to not push against the fatigue, to trust that we can be both tired and happy. Plant medicines and food are serving as potent pillars of support, as is having my mum around.
Three words that describe me are…
Silly, curious, affectionate.
Orchard St is…
A conduit to connect you to the remedial potential of plant medicine.
Naturopathy…
Realigns us with our natural state of being. Vibrant, radiant, at ease.
My philosophy…
Be kind.
I treasure…
This Earth. Little ones are such powerful reminders of the wonder, awe and reverence we hold for this planet.
I have fun…
Dancing!! Letting music simply move me is like a wellspring of joy.
I crave…
Cacao. So grateful to the gods for this sacred bean.
I feel womanly when…
Dancing with my husband.
My favourite thing to listen to is…
Sonny singing to Rafi.
The scent of home is…
Orchard St.’s Mayan Copal incense.
I am my happiest when…
Snuggled up in a soft early morning cocoon with both babes in arms.
I relax…
In the ocean, floating weightlessly on my back, all sounds muffled, fully absorbed in cloud watching.
My favourite body part is…
Perhaps the underside of my forearms, quite love the softness and sensitivity of this patch of skin.
My favourite snack is…
A generously spiced hot cacao elixir loaded with our Adaptogens. This carries me through each afternoon.
My favourite childhood memory…
Playing in phosphorescence at dusk on our local beach in Borneo
I am hopeful for…
The journey ahead for all of our children. May it be fun!
I am looking forward to…
Leaning into the fullness of life.
Photographed by Greta van der Star in New Zealand.